Watercolor Hanger

Before the Activity: Copy “Watercolor Hanger” and cut on the dotted lines, one per child. Cut string into six-inch lengths. Punch holes in the top of the paper plate. Moisten the watercolors with the water. Help your child protect clothing with smocks or t-shirts.

During the Activity: Give your child an activity page and help them glue the circle to the paper plate. Then, give each child a paintbrush. Encourage the children to use the water colors to paint the page. Finally, thread a piece of string through the hole in the paper plate and knot.

After the Activity: Allow the hanger to dry before sending home. Write names on the plates. Remove smocks and clean hands if necessary.

What You Say:

Before the Activity: “We are going to make a cool hanger for your door! It will remind you that you can believe in Jesus!”

During the Activity: “We will use paint and water to make our door hangers super cool!” (Do activity.)

After the Activity: “Way to go! I love your door hangers! You can look at them everyday and know that Jesus wants to be your friend forever and that you can always believe in Him. Who can believe in Jesus? [Bottom Line] I can believe in Jesus!”

Look for Jesus

What You Need: A picture New Testament Bible

What You Do:

Before the Activity: Look through the picture Bible that you will use and pick out the four story pictures of Jesus you want your child to find.

What You Say:

During the Activity: “I have a very special book for us to look at today. (Give your child a picture Bible.) Who can tell me the name of this book? (Pause.) Yes! This is the Bible. I really like this kind of Bible, because it has pictures in it. We are going to use the pictures to play a game of ‘I Spy’. I’ll call out a story picture about Jesus. Then, I want you to spy the picture with your little eyes. Sound good? Get your Bibles ready.

“Our first story picture is Jesus (example: standing in a boat with Peter, catching fish). Show me the picture when you spy it. Yay! You found Jesus (standing in a boat with Peter, catching fish).

“Let’s do that again! Now, I want you to look for Jesus (example: feeding A LOT of people with just five loaves of bread and two fish). Show me the picture when you spy it. Yay! You found Jesus (feeding A LOT of people with just five loaves of bread and two fish).”

Continue with the other pictures you want your child to find in their picture Bible.

After the Activity: “God’s Son, Jesus, was born a long time ago. He grew up to do amazing things that only He can do. People wrote down what they saw Jesus do so that we can believe in Jesus, too! Who can believe in Jesus? [Bottom Line] I can believe in Jesus.”

If the two cards match, they keep them, then they’re finished playing for the rest of the game.

If the cards don’t match, they turn them back over, and it’s the next kid’s turn.

Hint: Tell your kids to pay extra attention to the background of each card, to make sure they actually have a match!

Continue playing until all of the cards are played.

Next, ask the your child to place their cards in front of them, face up.

Tell them that you will read a brief description of a Bible hero.

Instruct them to look at their pictures to see who has the hero matching that description.

Instruct your kids to place them in their room as a reminder of God’s promises.

What You Say:

“Great job matching the description to the hero! What did these heroes do? They believed in God’s promises. In other words, they had complete faith in God. They didn’t know exactly how those promises would come true, but they were willing to do some wild things because they had faith in God. They didn’t do amazing things on their own power, but through their faith and hope in God.

“Faith isn’t always easy! It isn’t always comfy or perfect! But we have these stories of people who came before us, and these stories can help us keep the faith ourselves. [Make it Personal] (Share a faith story of someone in your life that has caused your personal faith to grow. Maybe it’s watching someone who continues to exhibit faith in spite of illness or difficult circumstances, or it’s someone who serves people unconditionally.)[Bottom Line] You can know Jesus even though you’ve never seen Him.”

Bible Story Extension

Hand out the “Faith Line Up” cards so that each person has at least one. If you only have one child, split them between the both of youl

Ask them to tape their card(s) anywhere on their legs, arms, head, feet, or hands.

Explain that you will read today’s Bible story from Hebrews11:1–12:3 in which many heroes of the faith are named.

When they hear the name of the person pictured on their “Faith Line Up” card, have them begin to line up and hold their cards (without moving them from where they’re taped to their bodies) at knee height.

Depending on where their cards are attached, some will have to position themselves in a challenging contortion!

When finished reading, have them sit down then ask them to share the name of their favorite “faith hero” from among the ones you read about. Why are they a favorite?

Lead a discussion about the Scripture for today:

Is faith different for us today than it was for the heroes we just read about? Explain why it is or is not.

We will probably never face the same situations as those we read about in Hebrews 11. Does that mean our faith is not as strong? (Encourage kids to explain their responses.)

What might a modern-day Faith Hero’s life look like?

What You Say:

“None of the people in our Old Testament “Faith Line Up” lived to actually SEE with their eyes how God was going to save His people. What they DID see was the way He worked in their lives and in the lives of those they knew. He met their needs, answered their prayers, and protected them. Based on that evidence, they CHOSE to believe His bigger plan. They had faith by believing what they couldn’t see based on what they could see.”

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“This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love:

Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves . . . My children, let’s not just talk about love, let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re truly living in God’s reality.”